BOSTON CITY COUNCILORS FILE LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATIONS ACCESS ORDINANCE

BOSTON CITY COUNCILORS FILE LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATIONS ACCESS ORDINANCE

BOSTON – Boston City Council President Michelle Wu and District City Councilor Tim McCarthy today introduced a Language and Communications Access ordinance at the Boston City Council Meeting. 

The Boston City Council, in partnership with Mayor Walsh and several departments led by the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians and Director Alejandra St. Guillen, created a Communications Access Working Group in November 2014 that evaluated departmental needs and best practices for communications access over the course of a year. This ordinance responds to many of the major recommendations brought forth by the Communications Access Working Group. 

The ordinance would require City of Boston departments to implement a communications access policy for residents who speak a language other than English or who need assistive technology. 

"Our goal is to codify the City of Boston's commitment to providing access to city services for every resident, no matter what language background or need," said Council President Wu. "We are a city whose strength comes from our diversity, and our policies should reflect that commitment to inclusion."

The ordinance was assigned to the City Council's Committee on Government Operations to schedule a hearing for a later date.